At present, different types of plants for obtaining homogenous mixes to feed ruminant livestock are already known.
Patent WO2014021716 describes a “processing of blocks or bales of feed”, consisting of a movable mixing bin and a platform with a fixed floor to contain one or more rows of blocks or bales of feed, which are cut and deposited in a mixing bin to be weighed, with the drawback that this type of plant is only configured for mixes of different types of baled forage for use on small farms, and with the added drawback that there are no means for incorporating solid and liquid additives to the mix via silos.
Another example of similar characteristics can be found in patent NL1023476, which describes a mechanically controlled feeding system for hay that receives complete bales that are methodically broken up into servings for animal feed, with the drawback that this setup can only handle mixes of hay forage, with no means of adding other ingredients.
Patent EP1938682 describes an apparatus and method for separating and mixing feed for livestock consisting of several conveyor belts, positioned in line, receiving one or more feed bales that are cut into pieces by a moving cutting unit and directed to a moving mixing bin which, after carrying out mixing, distributes the mix to the ruminant livestock, but with the same drawback as in the previous examples, namely that this type of plant is only effective on small family-type farms.
Patent EP1625787 describes apparatuses for separating and mixing feed for livestock, consisting of at least two conveyor belts positioned in line and equipped with a weight sensor, intended for supplying a mixing space, and delivery means for delivering a feed mix from the mixing space, or, by means of a moving mixer to subsequently distribute the mix, but with the drawback that productivity is reduced considerably when the mixer is withdrawn to distribute the mix made, and that furthermore, there is no means of incorporating concentrated and liquid ingredients from silos.
Patent EP2140758 describes an apparatus for separating and mixing feed for livestock, consisting of several conveying alleys with means for discharging bales of feed from a supply side to a discharge side, corresponding to a conveyor belt that is directly connected to a moving mixer which, as in the previous cases, is designed to share out or distribute the mix, but which notably reduces productivity, this type of plants being especially useful on small livestock farms.